Dramatic finish as Bullets fall in final moment against Taipans

It was the most dramatic of finishes with the Brisbane Bullets only a split second away from Mitch Norton hitting a game-winning three with the Cairns Taipans holding on to win the Sunshine Stoush 102-101.

It was a stunning fightback at Nissan Arena from the Bullets to even give themselves a chance at what would have been an incredible come from behind win. Brisbane did fall 22 points down during the third quarter, but kept on fighting and scored the last six points of the game to close the deficit to one.

The Bullets then got a stop on Cairns' last possession and had five seconds to go with Tyrell Harrison grabbing the defensive rebound and dishing off to captain Nathan Sobey.

Sobey raced up the floor and drove inside, and dished out to Norton who had a strong offensive night having made three triples already for a season best 13 points.

However, he got off the shot a split second after time expired and to add to the frustration it was good, and never looked like missing. But it was waved off with the Taipans holding on to the heart stopping one-point victory.

It was a stirring fightback from Brisbane and despite the frustration of the loss, by the end of the game a lot of the numbers were greatly improved from the first half.

The Bullets won the rebound count including 10 offensive boards to three while getting to the line for 26/31 free-throws and it was just the shooting in Cairns' favour with the Taipans going 55 per cent from the field to Brisbane's 44, and hitting 13/26 from three to 7/26 from the home team.

Captain Nathan Sobey ended up top-scoring for Brisbane with 24 points, five rebounds, four steals and two assists including going 9/10 at the foul line.

The returning Josh Bannan was impressive after missing the previous two games with 15 points and 10 rebounds with Mitch Norton hitting a high in Bullets colours of 13 points with three rebounds.

Isaac White also scored 13 points with Sam McDaniel contributing 12 points and three assists, Tyrell Harrison nine points, DJ Mitchell five points and four rebounds, Aron Baynes four points, Shannon Scott two points and Rocco Zikarsky four points, three rebounds and four blocks all of which came in the third period.

Tahjere McCall top-scored for the Taipans with 25 points to go with nine assists while Bul Kuol had 19 points, Sam Mennenga 18, Patrick Miller 17 and Sam Waardenburg 13.

It was a solid enough start from the Bullets with things remaining close through the first part of the opening quarter, but then the Taipans closed things out heading into quarter-time scoring 18 of the last 22 points to take a 35-17 lead.

It was the 66 per cent shooting from Cairns opposed to the 27 from Brisbane that was the biggest difference. The Bullets did attempt to work back into the game to start the second quarter including a three-pointer from Mitch Norton and and-one play from Nathan Sobey.

Isaac White then scored six quick points, but Cairns held on to a 56-43 lead by half-time and it was still the difference in shooting with the Snakes going at 55 per cent and the Bullets 33 along with 1/11 from deep despite the 16/18 free-throw shooting.

Things were getting away from the Bullets to start the third quarter with Cairns' lead blowing out to 22 points following a triple from Bul Kuol, but it was Next Star centre Rocco Zikarsky who helped keep Brisbane within striking distance.

The impressive 17-year-old had four blocks in the back end of the third quarter alone and Brisbane was able to go on a 15-3 run to work back from 22 down to trail by 12 at three quarter-time with Norton and DJ Mitchell knocking down threes, and the returning Josh Bannan completing the three-point play.

The Bullets still had plenty to do but had built some momentum in the back end of the third quarter and then Sobey scored his team's first seven points of the fourth frame to bring the margin back under single figures.

Bannan then scored to make it a six-point game and the margin was five shortly after with another and-one completion from Bannan.

Norton's aggressive scoring game continued when he hit his third three of the contest with 3:30 on the clock to make it a two-point game, and then Sobey nailed another triple a minute later too to keep Brisbane within three.

Cairns kept responding but a couple of inside buckets to Tyrell Harrison ensured the Bullets stayed in touch, and then Sobey hit two free-throws to make it a three-point margin with just under a minute to play.

Ultimately it came down to the last possession where Sobey found Norton, who hit what would have been his fourth three-pointer of the game and a walk off game winner, but the time clock denied him and the Bullets.

Brisbane now heads to Adelaide to take on the 36ers on Christmas Eve before a return home two days after Christmas to play host to the New Zealand Breakers at Nissan Arena.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 11

BRISBANE BULLETS 101 (Sobey 24, Bannan 15, White 13, Norton 13)

CAIRNS TAIPANS 102 (McCall 25, Kuol 19, Mennenga 18)

BOX SCORE